James elson



(No model.) l

J, BLSON. GAME APPARATUS.

NO. 420,149. v Patentd Jan. 28, 18,90.

INVENTOR .dttome i UNITED ST TES PTEN OFFICE;

JAMES ELsoN, OF BROOKLYN, AssIGNoR TO MCLOUGHLIN BROS., oF NEw YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPRATUS.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 420,149, dated January 28, 1890.

Application filed Septenfber 12, 1889. Serial NO, 323,748. (No model.)

TO CLZZ wll/om it may concern: will usually be filled; but in Fig. 1 only a few Be it known that I, JAMES ELSON, a citizen fishes are represented in the slots, simply for of the United States, residing in the city Of illustration. Each player then takes his rod Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of and line, the board or pond having been pre- 5 New York, have invented certain mprove viously turned round, so that each mayfish ments in Game Apparatus, of which the folfrom a side different from that which he lowing is a specification. stocked, and proceeds to hook and draW out My invention relates to that class of games the fishes One by One from the slots. TO do wherein pieces simulating fishes Or the like this the hook must be made to engage the To are caught by the players with tackle coneyelet CZ in the fish s snout or mouth. sisting of rods, lines, and hooks. The fishes Preferably, in order that the player may be bear each a number, and when the fishes in kept in entire ignorance of the numbers on the pond are all caught the numbers 011 the bodies of the fishes in the pond, each the fishes are added up and the player whose player will place the fishes in the slots in that I5 catch shows the largest total is the winner. half of the pond that is neXt to him, and in My invention will be fully described herefishing he must hook those fishes in the half inafter, and i'L s novel features carefully deof the pond neXt to his opponent; but it is fined in the Claims. not altogether necessary that the pond shall In the accompanying drawings, illustrative be turned to do this. 20 of my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional' per- After the fishes are all caught each player spective view of that part of the game appaadds up the numbers on the fishes caught by ratus called the fish pondf Fig. 2 shows him, and the one having the largest sum or one of the fishes in side elevation and in plan weight of fish is the winner. The result Will somewhat enlarged. Fig. 3 shows the tackle be dependent on two factors-ViZ;, the num- 2 5 used by the players for catching the fishes. ber of fish hooked and the value Of the num- A represents the fish-pond as a whole. Usubers marked on them. The first factor is conally this will comprise a boX a', with a detrolled by the skill of the players and the pressed plate or platform b therein representother by the element of chance. ing the surface of the water. This platform Some of the fishes may have no numbers. V 30 Will have numerous slots C formed in it to re- These Will be blanks and will not be counted;

ceive the fishes when the pond is stocked In any case, however, the face of the body of B B are the fishes. These will be of thin the fish where the number is located, if there material-as pasteboard,for example-Cut to be such, is concealed from view when the the proper contour to simulate fishes. Each fishes are placed in the slots of the pond, and 3 5 fish will have an eyelet (l in its head or snout it will not be possible for the players to know near the mouth or at the month, and some or whether there is any number at all on the fish all of them will have numerals e marked or he is endeavoring to hook, or, if there should printed on their sides near the tails. In playbe, what number it is. Preferably the fishing the game these fishes Will be inserted tail pond A will be so constructed that the tail of 0 first in the slots c, as seen in Fig. 1, when the the fish when inserted in the slot will rest on 0 numeral e, or that portion of the fish which the bottom of the bOX a, the body of the fish bears the numeral, if there be such, will be standing at an incline or angle, and, preferbelow the platform b and therefore concealed ably, also, the fish Will have a dorsal-fin 2', arfroIn view of the players. ranged to catch on the platform b at the end 5 C is the tackle used by the players to of the slot. This is clearly illustrated in the 9;; catch the fishes. This tackle consists of a drawings. In placing the fish in the pond or rod f of any kind, a short line g, and a hook h. stocking the pond they should be placed In playing the game the fishes B are miXed so as to face the player who is to angle for Or shuflied, and each player proceeds to set them. The platform b with its slots C, forms 50 them hap-hazard in the slots c. All the slots a support for holding the fishes in such a po- I'OQ sition that the hook Of the player who is endeavoring to catch them may be inserted in the aperture formed by the eyelet CZ. lf the fish were to lie flat on its side, it would be next to impossible to hook it.

Having thus described my invention, I do not claim, broadly, a game apparatus comp'rising a tackle like that shown and numbered pieces called fishes to be eaught with Such tackle by the players, as this is not new with me; nor do I limit myself to pieces simulating fishes, as they may smulate other things-as frogs, for example; but

What I do claim is- A 1. A game apparatus consisting of a platform b, provided with slots to receive the pieces, a suitable tackle, and pieces made from thin material adapted to be inserted in said slots and thereby supported in an np- 'having a numeral marked on it at its tail end,

substantially as set forth.

In witness Whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

J AMES ELSON.

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, J. D. CAPLNGER. 

